The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-29
A GHOST FINDS A WILL.
AND THEN STRAIGHTENS UP A
WRONG OF OTHER YEARS.

York Lawyer-A Story Which Will
Interest Lovers of the Marvellous.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
NEW YORK, Oct. 22.-Stories of the
supernatural are just now in fashion.
Almost everyone is interested in reading of
remarkable spiritual manifestations, yet
few persons who listen to such narratives
are willing to give them the credence de-
served. 1t should not seem remarkable to
any thinking person who acknowledges the
truth of Scripture and the evidence of ma
ture herself that there is a spirit world, and
that the immortal spirit still lives for a
while, after leaving the body, to hover
around the friends it loves while in the
flesh. Especially it is not remarkable that
the spirits of parents still love and take an
interest in the welfare of their children, and
oven manifest themselves, or material
ize. to comfort or help those whose existence
they must ever feel responsible for. The
following story was related to correspon-
dent of the Enquirer by well-known law
yer. who would certainly be the very last
nerson to misrepresent facts or coin ghost
story 1t may be taken literally, for there
can be no doubt of its truth, coming as it
does from person whose mind was incapa-
bile of prejudice, and who, before the occur
renee of this episode, was disbeliever in
Spirtualism, his present opinion of which
is that there are still many things in ma
ture for US to learn more about, and this
sPIRITUALISM
is one of them"
The following is his story:
about three months ago my client, Mr.
j., died very suddenly. After his death
search was made for his will and life insur-
ance policy knew he had drawn up a
new will just previous to his death; but, as
he had been lawyer himself, he had drawn
it with his own hand, and had not told me
its contents any further than to tell me be-
fore he drew it up that he intended to divide
his property equally between his two chill
dren, son by his first wife and an infant
daughter by his second wife He was a
widower, his second wife having died in
giving birth to the little girl After his
death the new will was not to be found, and
the only evidence of its existence was what
he had told me, and the affirmation of his
son, who was one of the witnesses.
1.-THE other witness, who was a brother of
the deceased, had died few days before
him, and, in fact, it was thought by the
family physician that the excitement and
grief of my client, caused by the de tn of
his brother, had caused the fit of apoplexy
which terminated his life Had my client
lett no will at all the case would not have
been so bad, for then the law would have
made an equitable division of the property
between the heirs; but unfortunately he
had made will at the time of his second
marriage Cutting off his son with a shil-
ling, :" or. rather, cutting him off with 500.
The latter will was found. By it the second
wife and her heirs or her children, should
she have any before his death, were devised
the whole of the estate; and a brother of
hers and myself were made executors
Both Of the witnesses were alive, and every
part of the will was uuasSailable by law.
The reason of
THIS INJUSTICE
had been the opposition of the son, who
was 20 years of age at the time, to his
fathers second marriage; after which event
the son went to Europe and remained abroad
until the second wife died, when his father
sent for him and they were reconciled, and
the new will made. The estate was very
large. 1t consisted of several hundred thou
sand dollars in real estate and manufactur-
ing property, chiefly in a New England
town, where the family homestead was sit
uated, and also of large life insurance pol
icy, which could not be found, and was
probably in the same envelope as the lost
will. OF course nothing could be done but
execute the former will The Surrogate
was appealed to by the son, but could do
nothing, as the son was the only witness of
the lost will living, and at the same time the
most interested person. Besides the brother
of NV clients second wife was determined
that his infant niece should have her fullest
rights under the will produced, and the
young man had to be satisfied with his 800
and the right to his mothers dowry, which
was left to her heirs by the will Of which l
have spoken.
Zone morning while was sitting in my
Office here in the Mills building, William
entered He was the young man who |
have spoken of as the son by the former
marriage, and co-heir under the lost will
He is a fine fellow, and felt keenly the in
justice which |, as an executor of the stand
ing will, had to carry out against him. He
said: Judge, very remarkable thing hap
pened to me last night. After had turned
out the gas and was getting into bed, was
SHOCKED AND HoRRIFIED
to see my father open the curtains of my
window, and enter the room from the bal
cony. AS he threw aside the curtains |
could see the moonlight shining clear
through him, and he did not cast the least
shadow on the floor. As / am not naturally
nervous, could scarcely believe my eyes,
so | stood perfectly still and he advanced
into the room, leaving the curtains opened
and the moonlight streaming in. When he
had reached me he raised his hand and laid
it on my shoulder. Then spoke Father is
this you %
Yes, William" he answered, 81 have
come to tell you where you can find my last
will, which will give you justice. 1t is in
my safe, in our house in A, where |
went just before my death to bring my sick
and now dead brother, your Uncle John,
back to this city, thinking would return at
once and bring back the will. left it there
for safety. had taken it there to show my
old friend D., who read it and will attest
that the instrument which you will find is
the true will; and with the will is my life
insurance policy Go and tell my lawyer,
Judge R., what | have told you, and ask
him to go with you to A. on Wednesday. l
will meet you both there And now, my
son, let me say this: Never do an act in
haste that may prove an injustice.
THE UNJUST DEAD CANNOT REST"
,"'After saying this he vanished through
the window as he had come, leaving the
curtains down and the moon still shining in
with CHASTITY light. / lit the gas at once
and closed the window, and have not slept
since. Will you go to A. on Wednesday
nextl What do you think of it allP He
ceased speaking, and having heard him
through without interruption, l said that |
should either think he had been drinking or
had been reading some book on ghosts, and
then had fallen asleep, and awakening had
found himself standing in the room with
the curtains drawn, having dreamed the